The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Core Facility (HSC Core) serves as a resource for procurement and processing of human hematopoietic cells derived from a variety of sources, and routine phenotypic and functional characterization of these cells for the members of the Cancer Center. The HSC Core objectives are 1) to provide standard assays of hematopoiesis and specifically stem cell analysis for evolution of reconstitution after transplantation. The facility serves as a quality control/assurance laboratory for translational clinical trials of blood and marrow transplantation, 2) to procure and distribute human blood and marrow cells so as to promote translational research efforts in hematopoiesis and for biochemical endpoints within the Developmental Therapeutics Program. The HSC Core collects, processes, and distributes peripheral blood, bone marrow and umbilical cord blood samples from normal donors and patients according to an IRB approved protocol. The facility routinely performs 14 day CFU-GM, BFU-E, CFU-GEMM, and CFU megakarocytic progenitor assays, Long-Term (5-week) Culture Initiating Cell (LTC-IC) assay, separation of mononuclear cells by density gradient (Ficoll-Hypaque or Percoll), adherence depletion of mononuclear cells, CD34+ cell enrichment with VarioMACS system, and mesenchymal stem cell culture purification. The HSC Core Facility also maintains a variety of murine and human hematopoietic cytokines and provides consultation to investigators working with hematopoietic cells. The HSC Core Facility is planning to implement real time measurement of absolute numbers of CD34+ cells using IMGN2000 device and clinical scale G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood collections from normal donors for preclinical and basic research purposes.